Siegfried Westphal on Rommel

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julian
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Siegfried Westphal on Rommel

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Erinnerungen Hase & Koehler 1975 page 193-194

"It would be a truism to state thar FM Rommel was the soul of the german-Italian warfighting in Africa. His soldierly work in the desert has made his name worlsfamous. However, he was not only the soul but also the motor of the fight in Africa. From a passion which burned inside him, he consumed himself. The weakness of the heart which showed itself with this modest man in 1942, is to be solely attributed to the activity which continually overtaxed his organism.The resposability for the theatreand his troops was a heavy burden on him, it robbed him many times of his sleep. T o the premonition of the fate that threatened us in Africa, came the oppressing care for the Fatherland. Then FM Rommel deep down had a soft heart. From nature very sensible, he frequently surrounded himself with an armour .
Decorated with the highest prussian war order as an infantry officer from Württemberrg in WW1, he remained in his thinking and acting a front officer, even as a high commander. The front,the fight , the longing to be with his soldiers in the battle were the only motivations which drew him magically from his command post to the front. The influence which his daily appearance at the front exercised, was of the greatest use for the cause. The troop was attached to him who still asked so much from it. It swore on him who gave it nothing and drove it restlessly forward. Between it and him existed this atmosphere which cannot be analysed, which is a gift of mercy for any military commander, is so seldom and therefore maybe makes it that. The Italian soldier also worshipped his German commander in chief in the same way in an unusually high measure. Without a doubt Erwin Rommel was the German army commander of ww2 who was the closest to the 'ordinary man'. His crtics have called him the commanbder of the first line. By this it was to be stated that he who had not gone through theschool of the general staff, was not an army commander after all. This judgment is unjust. He certainly had also committed mistakes. But outstandingly soldierly disposed , he soon got used to the command of large units. He grew- for all who were continually around him clearly visible- more and more with his mission. When something was new to him at first as for example the possibility of supplying over a seaway one did not dominate, he soon recognised this core matter in the full gravity of its importance.
It needed strict orders from Hitler to move the sick fieldmarshall from his theatre. His only consolation was that his soldiers awaited another fate as their comerades in Stalingrad. The 'Africans' felt that. They understood him. No other German general could have done better than Rommel . He is and remains the German master of warfighting in the desert."
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